A Private War Redux
by butterfly collective
Summary: The mining company tries to strong arm its way through Paradise in different ways. How will the town react? Who will sell? Who will hold out? And who will make the final stand?
1. Chapter 1

Ben and George were sitting by the creek, looking for fish and generally avoiding their chores when suddenly, they heard a dog barking. They looked to see a golden mutt of a dog yapping its head off at them and heard the sound of hoof beats in the distance.

Suddenly while the dog had them frozen in their tracks, two men on horseback rode up quickly, both of them with lassos in hand.

Ben and George stood there as the ropes landed around their bodies and cinched at the waist. Someone had lassoed them and looking into the men's stony faces, they didn't know who had done it. Outlaws? Rustlers? They knew people hated their uncle mostly bad guys.

Suddenly Marshal P.J. Braddock rode up to them and dropped off his horse to remove the ropes around the two boys.

"These two are Cord's boys…"

One of the men grumbled.

"How did we lose them…"

Ben and George just looked at the men not knowing what had just happened. One moment they had been lassoed, another the men were about to ride away from them.

* * *

Ethan rode on his horse in front of a wagon filled with men driving down a road. He saw a man stand in the middle of the road aiming a shotgun right at them in front of a wagon positioned to block passage. Then he fired a shot in the air, which made Ethan duck. When he rode past him, he tackled him and forced him to the ground.

"What are you doing mister?"

The man protested.

"You're with the mine. I don't want you on my land."

He struggled in Ethan's grasp.

"You can't shut down a road."

"I just did."

Ethan tried to reason with him.

"Look we're on our way to town. This is the only way."

An older man in a business suit walked up to them.

"What's going on here? We're on important business."

The man pointed at him.

"You're not driving me out like you did Jack Harkley."

The man in the suit gestured to another man behind him with a shotgun.

"Get the wagon out of the road."

The man pointed again.

"That's right. That's the way you operate. Pushing little people aside. You can't push them out. You burn them out."

Ethan got in the middle.

"This is no place to say. Take your complaint to the authorities."

"The mine owns the authorities…"

Ethan walked his horse as the man in the suit walked with him.

"Who said it Cord…progress has its price. Good might come of it. A school could go up where his house is. You're a family man you can appreciate that."

He walked away from Ethan who got back on his horse. He'd taken this job with the mine providing security to help support his new family…but the men in charge got on his nerves as often as not. No one said that you had to like everything about a job you took.

* * *

Joseph loaded sacks of grain into the wagon thinking of all the things he'd rather be doing when his eyes caught two little boys running across the street behind a building as fast as lightning.

Ben and George? What were they up to now? He walked to get a better look and saw an empty looking building but neither one of them. He walked back to the wagon to finish loading it. Being the older brother, he never got to play like they did.

* * *

Amelia sat in the bank dealing with the two bigwigs in town that owned the mine.

"The problem is I don't own the bank. My husband does."

The one sitting down named Mr. Sweet smiled.

"The mine's aware of your delicate domestic situation Mrs. Lawson."

She sighed, tired of the soft peddling.

"There's nothing delicate about it. My husband disappeared without a word two years ago. Until he's found, declared dead or something I don't own the bank."

God she wish she did so she could just sell it already, collect the money and leave town but…the laws favored the husbands over their wives and she couldn't change that.

Sweet leaned forward.

"But you are amenable to selling the bank aren't you?"

"I'm eager to sell."

She didn't want to be trapped in this god forsaken town the rest of her life.

"Good…good then…I'm sure we'll be doing business. Good Day…"

He stood up from his chair. The other man left with him. Amelia wondered what the two men wanted with her bank…but if they could facilitate a sale, she was all for it.

* * *

Claire and Joseph looked at George and an out of breath Ben, who looked like they'd been running hard all the way home.

Ben just stammered.

"W…W…W.."

Claire spoke softly.

"Slow down Ben it's all right."

George chimed in next.

"Men on horses and dogs. Bad dogs."

Joseph leaned forward.

"What are you talking about?"

Ben struggled with words but not George.

"They chased us. They were going to feed us to the ghost dogs."

Joseph lost patience.

"You're not making sense."

Ben drew a breath.

"F…Four riders and two dogs…"

George nodded.

"They thought we were somebody else."

Joseph sighed.

"Who?"

"The men?"

"No I mean who could they have mistaken you for?"

The two boys weren't making any sense and both Joseph and Claire wondered what had happened to shake them up so much. Claire just shrugged.

"But there no other children in Paradise."

Later Joseph Claire and the two younger boys walked down a street in Paradise.

"I'm not sure I saw anything," Joseph said, "but if they were children, they had to have come here."

George looked up at him.

"Why?"

"Because if they didn't, they just disappeared off the face of the earth."

They walked up to the abandoned building with boarded up windows.

"Goblins can vanish."

Claire sighed.

"There are no goblins George."

Claire opened the door and they all crept inside the darkened room. George looked around.

"Nobody's here."

Joseph looked at some boxes.

"Just wait…"

George and Ben looked among the boxes. Suddenly a mouse appeared on the floor and George ran screaming. Suddenly two Chinese boys appeared arms wrapped around each other.

George pointed at them.

"Ghouls…"

Claire brightened.

"Children."

* * *

Ethan and the wagon arrived into town and he pulled up alongside them before getting off and walking to the store. A man walked out.

"Good afternoon Mr. Lee."

The man walked past him as if he weren't there. Mystified Ethan headed into the bank where Amelia was pondering two sacks in front of her.

"What's wrong with Mr. Lee?"

She pulled the sacks towards her.

"He doesn't think he can trust you now that you're working on the mine's payroll."

He leaned forward.

"Why?"

"They made an offer on his store. Fortunately it was only half the original price."

She took the sacks towards the cabinets.

"Then he shouldn't sell…"

"He doesn't want to sell but he's scared. He thinks the mine's trying to pressure him."

"What do you think?"

"Well I think they're heavyhanded but it's their way to negotiate."

"Surprised they haven't made you an offer…"

She just looked at him silently.

"They did make you an offer."

She smiled at him as she walked towards the tellers' windows.

"I don't own the bank."

"Yeah well if you did…"

She looked at him.

"I'd listen to any reasonable offer."

He just stood watching her, trying to process that.

"You always did want to leave Paradise."

"Yes I did."

He paused choosing his words carefully.

"And it's true just like you said…you don't belong here."

She looked at him, believing that while she often thought it might be true, for him to say it…that was different. But she shook her head.

"No."

* * *

A group of men from the mine celebrated over whisky in the saloon.

"To the mine and a new vein of gold that will make Paradise into a boom town…"

Another man told him to be quiet.

"You want to drive prices up? And how are our negotiations?"

Sweet sighed, dealing with some paperwork.

"Our lawyers are looking into the bank problem. We're meeting a little resistance from Paradise Hardware. Chinaman doesn't want to sell."

The bigwig, Sinclair sighed.

"Tools…chemicals..weapons. What would mining be without hardware?"

Sweet lit a cigar.

"Of course we haven't made our final offer yet."

"Why in '49, the three richest men at Sutter's Mill were a land speculator, a banker and a hardware merchant."

"We'll get the hardware store Mr. Sinclair. You can count on it."

"I do…"

* * *

Ethan waited as Amelia locked the bank up. He saw the men from the mine walking down the street with purpose.

"That didn't take long. Looks like they're going to make Mr. Lee another offer."

Amelia shrugged.

"They're wasting their time."

"If they offer him enough money…"

"It's more than money to Mr. Lee. He worked so hard just to get that store. He worked for cash. In those days, no bank would lend him anything. To make it worse, he had to overcome a lot of…ignorance. It's more than a store to him. He won't sell."

They'd been walking down the street and Ethan watched her face light up as she talked about the hardware store owner. Well…good day Ethan."

He tipped his hat at her.

* * *

Sweet just looked at Mr. Lee and then headed out of his store.

"What are you doing?"

The men went to his guns.

"What's that?"

"I told you my store is not for sale."

Sweet walked towards him shotgun in hand.

"The establishment's about to change hands. You can make money in the deal or turn out. Your choice Chinaman."

Mr. Lee just stared at them.

"Get out."

"This is your property House Boy…protect it."

Sweet tossed him the shotgun.

"Get out of my store…"

The other man pulled out a handgun and aimed it at him.

"Goodbye Mr. Lee…"

Just then, Ethan walked inside the store.


	2. Chapter 2

Delaney dropped to the floor holding his knee and howling in protest. Ethan hadn't shot to kill but to ensure that the man who tried to kill Mr. Lee would be out of commission. Sweet just looked at Ethan, his eyes widening at what he'd just witnessed. When Ethan pointed his gun at him, he just put his hands up.

Ethan gestured to the man writhing on the floor.

"Get him out of here."

Sweet knew better than to argue with a man who'd just shot his henchman. So he did just that not even trying to remind Ethan that they all worked for the same employer, the mine. But Ethan never took his eyes or his gun off of them.

Ethan walked up to Mr. Lee who just stood there and rested a hand on his shoulder before leaving with the shotgun.

* * *

Sinclair sat at his desk doing paperwork when Ethan walked into see him getting right to the point.

"I quit Sinclair. Pay me what you owe me."

The boss sat up eying him as if he were crazy.

"Excuse me…"

"You heard me. I'm through."

"Why?"

"I just saw the way the mine works and I don't work that way."

Sinclair reared back.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your man Delaney tried to kill the hardware man."

Sinclair reacted by pushing himself up on his feet.

"What?"

"Yeah. He wouldn't sell and Delaney wouldn't take no for an answer."

"What happened?"

"I stopped him."

"Is Delaney dead?"

"No…but he's not going to be much help to you anymore."

Sinclair paused, his mind clearly working.

"We owe you Cord. A dead merchant would be a calamity for us."

He gestured with his hand.

"Please sit down."

Ethan just stood there watching him. That didn't make Sinclair feel any easier about how to deal with the gunslinger he'd hired as security.

"Look I don't know what got into Delaney but the mine doesn't work that way. Times have changed."

Ethan grimaced.

"I heard."

Sinclair moved on with his next sales pitch.

"Tell you what Cord. Take Delaney's job. We got to send someone out with our negotiator. You do it."

"I'm not a thug Sinclair."

The man sighed.

"We don't want a thug. We want good will. Make sure nothing like this happens again. Better hours, better pay. Much better pay."

Ethan appeared to think about it. He was tempted but if he were going to take the job, he'd do it in a much different way than his predecessor.

* * *

The two runaways, Toy and Min talked with the children inside the abandoned building where they'd been living since their escape.

"The mine fed us as long as we worked."

"See we could crawl through spaces where they couldn't go…to set charges."

"But my brother Min, he took ill and they didn't like that. It slowed them down. The boss thought he was fooling so he began to beat him. We ran away."

Joseph spoke up.

"How could they do that? You're just kids."

Toy shrugged.

"The mine said they owned us."

Ben furrowed his brow.

"People don't own people."

George looked at the two boys.

"Where your mother and father?"

Toy fidgeted with his hands.

"We don't know. They must have worked in the mines too but we don't remember."

George sighed.

"We don't have a mother or father either. We have our uncle."

"Your uncle?"

Min asked in Chinese what that meant and Toy explained it to him.

Claire felt bad for the two of them, not believing what she just heard.

"What are you going to do? You can't stay in here."

Ben brightened.

"We'll ask Uncle Ethan."

Min smiled and pointed at him.

"Uncle…"

* * *

Ethan had taken Amelia and the children to the restaurant to enjoy a fine dinner. He'd been thinking about the job offer and ran it past her, trusting her judgment.

"Better hours. Better pay. Much better pay."

Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you think they're just buying you off?"

"Course they are…otherwise we wouldn't be having this fine dinner. Sinclair's probably thinking he bought me of but I'm going to do the job exactly the way he told me to do it."

"Uncle Ethan?"

"Yes George…"

"Do you work for the mine?"

"Well I work for myself. The mine hires me for security. To protect their people, property and their money. Why George?"

Ben chimed in.

"You like working for the mine?"

"Yes I do…and I like being out on a trail. Going different places…not knowing what's around the bend. It's exciting work."

George frowned.

"Better than ranching?"

"Better than ranching? Well…uh they are different."

* * *

The children took the horse and buggy back to the ranch after summer as Ethan remained in town with Amelia.

Joseph held the reins, grumbling.

"Still can't tell him…"

George responded from the back.

"Why not?"

"You heard him. He likes working for the mine. Wouldn't be fair for us to get him fired."

Claire had considered that.

"We'll have to take care of them ourselves. We'll help them. That's all there is to it. Joseph…"

"What?"

"Would you be mad at me if I told you I was proud of you?"

"What for?"

"For saying it wouldn't be fair to Uncle Ethan."

He groaned.

"Yeah don't say it…"

* * *

In town, Ethan walked Amelia back down the main street towards her house, enjoying the quietness and the view.

She chuckled suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Oh….The mine wanting the community's good will and hiring Ethan Cord, gunfighter to get it."

They continued up her walkway.

"Nah…it's still the mine. I know that. I mean it doesn't really matter if the mine cares or not as long as it brings good times."

They walked up the stairs onto her front porch. She didn't seem eager to open her door and go inside for the night.

"Good times bring people…families."

She sighed from someone who'd lived through all that before now.

"Good times brought people before."

He sat on the railing.

"Well maybe if we built something besides saloons, people would stay put. When people put down roots, something's bound to grow."

She smiled at his idealistic streak showing, one part of him she actually liked. But she challenged him anyway.

"People won't stay put."

"Why…because they didn't last time? Things change….times change…"

He paused just looking at her.

"People change."

Was he talking about himself, having changed when four children came into his life to challenge his role as the town gunfighter? Or was he talking about someone else…

She just stared at him not sure how to answer without knowing. He just looked back at her, waiting. Damn him, couldn't he move on to another subject?

She sat down on the porch swing thoughtfully. But the silence only grew between them.

"Some people do…some people don't."

He digested that.

"Some people don't want to…"

Ouch, he certainly knew how to aim accurately and hit his target with something else other than a gun.

"Some people can't…"

He got off the railing.

"Late…"

She just looked down at her hands for a moment and he couldn't leave like that. Didn't know why but his feet wouldn't move. Then he leaned closer and she looked up at him, their faces inch apart.

"Anyone can…"

Then he walked away leaving her alone.

* * *

The next morning, Amelia was all business at her bank sitting at the desk talking to Sinclair who'd dropped by with two men. He sighed a check and handed it to her.

"What's this?"

"A show of good faith Mrs. Lawson. Our lawyers will have the papers for you to sign within a week."

She chuckled in disbelief.

"Mr. Sinclair I've explained…"

He brushed her off.

"Let the mine take care of the technicalities. It could be years before your husband is declared dead, derelict…in the meantime we'll run the bank."

She didn't know what to say in response.

"It's worth our while to take the risk. Pleasure doing business with you."

They shook hands and he left the office. She looked at the check, knowing she had a decision to make. A certain gunslinger had been making it much more complicated for her.

* * *

Inside the abandoned building both Min and Toy ate pieces of fruit. Claire smiled at them.

"We'll bring you some more tomorrow."

The boys ate hungrily. Toy looked up at them.

"This is good…"

Ben shook his head.

"No it isn't."

Claire sighed.

"It's hardly enough to keep you alive…and it's dark in here. You can't live like this. All cooped up without light. You'll just waste away."

She opened the door allowing the sunshine in. George jumped up in protest.

"They'll see them. They'll get caught."

Toy walked over to shut the door.

"It was darker in the mine. We're used to it."

Joseph sighed.

"Nobody's used to that. You need exercise. You need to play."

Min said something in Chinese to Toy.

"Play?"

Ben looked incredulous.

"Don't you know what 'play' is?"

The two boys looked at each other and then back at Ben.

* * *

P.J. washed his hands in the marshal's office as Sinclair stormed inside.

"Where you been?"

P.J. looked annoyed.

"Chasing Chinese kids all over kingdom come."

"Cord shot one of my men."

P.J. tossed the towel down.

"Yeah well he's been known to do that sort of thing."

"Well we can't afford to have him _do that sort of thing again_."

P.J rolled down his sleeves.

"He's on your payroll, you fire him."

Sinclair glowered.

"That'll make it worse."

"There's nothing much we can do about it is there?"

"Yes there is…"

P.J. picked up his jacket.

"What?"

Sinclair's voice got icy.

"You heard me."

P.J. paused, looking straight at him.

"No…"

Sinclair stepped towards him.

"Paradise could be your last opportunity Marshal. You want to take advantage of it? Do your job. If not, we'll get someone else."

P.J. watched him go, and after he left, he threw his jacket on the desk in disgust.

Later he ran into Sweet who looked at him with a smile as they stood by the hitching post.

"You wanted to see me?"

P.J. sighed.

"I want to hire you."

Sweet arched his eyes in amusement.

"Deputy Marshal?"

P.J. said nothing and Sweet smirked.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Ethan Cord…I'll pay a premium."

"He's your friend…that's right isn't it?"

"It can't be man to man."

"Any other way is against the law…"

"I'm the law here. Do it anyway you want."

Sweet snickered.

"Guess that gives me a definite edge."

"I want it fast and clean…away from the children, and away from Mrs. Lawson."

Sweet shook his head.

"You tickle me. You don't have the guts to do your dirty work so you hire a man to do it fo you. But you wait it done with a doily."

P.J. stared at him, having made his choice.

"Just do it…"


	3. Chapter 3

Ethan rode on horseback into Paradise as soon as the sun came up. He saw Amelia talking with the marshal and wondered what was going on. P.J. fancied Amelia, he knew coming out and saying he'd had his eye on her since the Founder's Day barbecue.

He knew he had to make sure that the marshal didn't get his way. He wasn't nearly good enough for the town banker, being a liar and a cheat among other things, not to mention a career politician. Amelia should be smart enough to see right through him like she did most people including Ethan.

After pulling up his horse, he tipped his hat.

"Good morning Amelia, P.J…"

He tied up his horse and followed Amelia into the bank. She looked pretty enough as she always did, smiling at him. Obviously in a better mood than last night.

"Everything should be in order Ethan…"

P.J. sneered at him.

"You still riding for the mine? The only sure way to go places."

"If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me."

P.J. nodded.

"Yeah it's like old times."

Ethan sized him up. He didn't trust the man, never did but he had to be careful around him.

"Yeah."

"We each choose our own way. We got to follow it."

"I guess."

Then Ethan walked into the bank where Amelia waited. Their last conversation after dinner stuck on his mind. After all this time, she really was set on leaving Paradise. How dare she say she couldn't change, which meant she wasn't planning to stick around! Leaving the town in the lurch like that…of course it had nothing to do with him.

"Ethan…"

He turned around looking at P.J. expectantly. But the marshal just stared back.

"Nothing…"

* * *

Nearby at the abandoned building, Joseph took a careful look outside the building to see if anyone looked his way. He gestured for his sister, brothers and both Toy and Min to follow him outside. The two Chinese boys needed to get out of the cramped darkness at least for a little while. They needed to play out in the sunshine like ordinary children.

They went out into the meadow amid a grove of trees where they played. Toy and Min watched from the sidelines at first unsure of what they were seeing and what to do next. But soon enough they joined in and laughter soon filled the air.

Ben went up to Toy.

"You're it…"

But the other boy just looked at him puzzled. Min took him by the arm and had him "tag" George and the boy smiled. They ran around playing tag until Min fell down, his hand on his chest trying to breathe. Claire went to tend to him and then he tagged her, with a gleeful laugh.

* * *

Ethan paced at the bank after Amelia gave him the news about her dealing with the mine. He didn't like it one bit. Her inability to sell her husband's bank after he abandoned her was what tied her to Paradise. He knew she resented that but he liked having her around…more so than he'd ever admitted.

"Is it legal?"

She seemed perplexed.

"I don't know. I'll find out. But if it is, yes I probably will sell."

That didn't make him happy at all. He knew he should have no say in what she chose to do with the bank but the thought of her selling…well it bothered him. He put his hands in his coat pockets.

"I didn't think you would. Not this fast."

"You mean sell…or leave?"

He didn't answer and she got up out of her chair clearly torn by it. Maybe not it but something…surely it had to be about the bank and not the man in front of her.

"It's not an easy decision Ethan…but I wanted to move along so long…"

She looked directly at him.

"Now I have the chance, how can I not?"

He gritted his teeth, hands still in pockets. So many things came to mind to say and none of them were said. So he reached for the easiest of them.

"Town needs you."

"The town will move along. I'm not letting Paradise down. This is business."

He sighed.

"And you're all business aren't you?"

Anger filled her but she bit it back. Really the nerve of him…making this even harder. It's not like they meant anything to each other. They always fought over everything…besides he shot her even if it was an accident. She couldn't believe he thought her so shallow.

"You know better than that."

"Thought I did…"

Her eyes didn't drop from his face.

"I'm sorry if you misunderstood…"

They just stared at each other a long moment, caught in one of their impasses without either willing to say anything before he walked away from her and out of the bank.

* * *

The children went back to the abandoned building but this time they brought Mr. Lee with them. They pointed out the two boys.

Claire pleaded.

"But they're hungry and they're sick."

Ben chimed in.

"They're Chinese j..just like you."

Mr. Lee shook his head.

"They belong to the mine. I can't get involved."

Joseph felt exasperated.

"The mine beat them."

Mr. Lee countered.

"They beat me too. I survived."

George looked up at him.

"They only need a little food. Please…"

Mr. Lee just looked at them, thinking about it.

* * *

Ethan was lighting the fire in the cabin when the children came home. He looked at them.

"Where you been?"

Joseph took the initiative.

"We got something to tell you."

He stood up to face them.

"What?"

Claire sighed.

"We found two little boys. They're Chinese."

"What do you mean 'found'?"

"They ran away from the mine," George said.

"Well they have to go back. They can't do that."

Ben whimpered.

"But the mine beat them."

"Well, they'll have to turn themselves in to somebody. They could be in real trouble."

George furrowed his brows.

"Their names are Toy and Min."

Ben finished.

"They've been hiding at the railroad station"

"We gave our food."

Claire tried to appeal to Ethan.

"You will help them won't you Uncle Ethan?"

He just looked at them shaking his head.

"Look I'm sorry. It's sad but it's the way things are."

He poured some water.

"Some people. They sign contracts for labor for passage to America. There's nothing we can do about it."

Ben disagreed.

"We can bring them here with us."

"What?"

Claire chimed in.

"For a little while."

Ethan just looked incredulous.

"Have you lost your minds?"

George smiled.

"They're good workers."

"We'd all help."

"It shouldn't be so bad."

They were all ganging up on him even Joseph.

Ethan grew irate.

"Not so bad? Look just stop talking about it. Stop thinking about it."

Ben pouted.

"But they're…"

Ethan remained firm.

"No buts. Now go to your rooms."

All four of them looked at him crestfallen and then did as they were told.

Joseph hesitated.

"All of you."

His oldest nephew just looked at him as he went with the others.

Ethan kept talking.

"We got it hard enough as it is. They're not our responsibility."

They still stared at him with Claire folding her arms.

"Well this isn't an orphanage."

Claire fumed at him closing the curtains to the room and shutting him out.

He sighed grabbed his coat and went outside where it wasn't so frosty.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mr. Lee crept along to the abandoned building and opened the door stepping inside just enough to see Toy and Min sleeping there. He set down a basket of food for them before leaving again.

Ethan rode into the town past Sweet who stood there lighting a cigarette. He watched Ethan head into the saloon where Scotty stood behind the bar sorting glasses.

"What can I get you Ethan?"

* * *

Ethan wanted some whisky fast and a glass of whisky. This just hadn't been a good day for him what with the mutiny back at the house over the fate of two Chinese boys from the mine and Amelia wanting to sell her damn bank and leave Paradise before…he thought he'd quit thinking while ahead and stick to drinking.

Scotty served him up, looking a bit concerned.

"Something on your mind?"

"No…"

"I don't ordinarily see you here these days asking for a shot of whisky."

Ethan shot him a reproachful look.

"Nothing's on my mind Scotty."

As Ethan drank his shot down, the bartender didn't look too convinced of that. He didn't see Sweet walk in tucking his gun in his pocket. But Ethan saw him in a reflection of his glass and knew trouble had arrived.

He threw the glass to distract him, Sweet used his gun and then Ethan shot him down. P.J. rushed in his own gun drawn and Ethan smelled a setup.

"Is he dead?"

Ethan looked down at him.

"Uh huh…I didn't think he was the kind of man who'd revenge his partner."

"I didn't think he was the kind of man who'd be fool enough to go after you."

P.J. walked to get something from the bar and Ethan just watched him, not trusting him at all.

* * *

The next day, the children including Min and Toy returned to the meadow to play hide and seek. Suddenly P.J. rode in with his posse to go capture them to take back to Sinclair and the mine as the children watched stunned.


	4. Chapter 4

The children ran through town as if the devil pursued him. Instead it was a posse of men on horseback led by P.J. They split up and three of them raced past Tiny's livery stable and in between buildings. P.J. lifted his hand to halt his posse.

"Wait a minute. We got two birds with one stone."

Amelia had been walking down the street and watched the scene play out in bewilderment. First the children running down the street past her and then P.J. and his men on horseback. Claire and the two Chinese boys ran down the railroad tracks hoping that her brothers provided a useful diversion in the center of town. They had to find a better hiding place quick before the men on horseback caught the boys and dragged them back to their pitiful lives working the mines.

Sinclair berated P.J. when he dropped by the office.

"A militia. You're a lawman Brackenhouse. Do you ever do anything yourself?"

P.J. sighed, running a hand through his hair. Clearly feeling the stress of being a marshal and appeasing his other boss in front of him.

"I'll take of Cord later. Right now we can get the children back and confiscate the store. The Chinaman has the children. He's defying the law of the state and the nation. It's an insurrection."

A clearly peeved Sinclair gestured with his hands.

"Just arrest him and snatch the boys."

"No it'll be cleaner this way. Cord won't fire on the militia. Look better for the mine."

Sinclair sighed, exasperated.

"Well do whatever you're going to do Brackenhouse but do it."

P.J. left seriously feeling the pressure and the walls beginning to close on him. He'd come to Paradise thinking the marshal position in a small dying mining town would be a cinch to serve his political ambitions. But it'd been a disaster from the start. Cord had proven a major thorn and Amelia hadn't favored him, if he didn't know better he'd thought she had a thing for Ethan.

* * *

John Taylor had a knack for always showing up at the right place at the right time. Especially when trouble lurked on the horizon. So now he headed up the steps into Mr. Lee's hardware store driven by his unfailing intuition of a long life traveled rich in experiences.

Mr. Lee walked over to help him.

"I'd like to buy a shotgun Mr. Lee. I thought I'd go hunting turkey."

Suddenly Joseph walked up to him.

"John Taylor we're in trouble."

"I know. Any of you can find Ethan?"

Joseph sighed.

"None of us know where he is."

Amelia walked up to both of them. It seemed that all of them had the same idea. John Taylor knew that meant the bad guys would have the same idea.

"I'm expecting a courier in Patch from Angel's Camp. He's probably riding with that."

John Taylor gestured to Joseph with his head and the young boy dashed out of the store. The Indian picked out his shotgun.

"I think I'll take this one Mr. Lee and a box of shells."

Mr. Lee went to fetch them. Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"I didn't know you fancied weapons Mr. Taylor."

"I don't."

"Well what you going to do then?"

John Taylor loaded the ammo in his shotgun.

"I'm going to sit on the porch and rock in a chair. Seen folks do that. Always wanted to give it a try."

He walked on out the door with his gun and Amelia and Mr. Lee just looked at each other.

* * *

John Taylor sat in his rocking chair and held the shotgun next to him casually waiting for the standoff he knew was coming.

Out walked Min. He smiled at the little boy.

"Fine day isn't it?"

He patted his lap and picked up the boy so he could sit on it.

"Come here. Day like this is like having a friend. Makes you feel better."

Ben and George came outside as well to sit with him.

"Hello boys, we were just discussing fine days and friendship."

Ben shrugged.

"He can't understand you John Taylor."

"Probably not."

George piped up from his lap.

"His name is Min."

Ben looked unhappy.

"With no one to take him in with his brother, they'll have to go back and work in the m…mine."

John Taylor countered.

"There's nothing wrong with hard work. Some folks have a lot of reverence for it."

George looked up at him.

"For children?"

"Why children are the hardest workers of all."

Ben widened his eyes.

"They are?"

"Sure. Children work all the time even when they don't have to. Run when they can just easily walk. Chase things they know they can't catch just to polish their skills. When you see something new, you don't say that's the way it is and then forget about it. No sir, you want to know why it's like that. All that wondering, all that figuring things out. You can't tell me that's not hard work."

George agreed.

"It is hard."

John Taylor nodded. But Ben frowned.

"But it's not a job like m…making something."

"Why it's making a future Ben. That's children's work. There's nothing harder or more important."

He glanced at Min.

"We'll have to tell them at the mine that we can't spare a single worker."

Suddenly a whole cadre of men on horseback wearing army uniforms walked their horses up the street towards Mr. Lee's store. John Taylor and the children looked at them as they approached. John Taylor called to Mr. Lee.

"Boys go with Mr. Lee."

They all went inside leaving John Taylor alone to face the armed forces. But he grabbed his gun and was ready.

He saw P.J. riding right in front of them. He'd never trusted the new marshal. The leader of the Calvary barked orders to his men. One of them was to prepare their shotguns and P.J. rode up in front.

"Why the shotgun John Taylor?"

The Indian smiled at him.

"I'm going turkey hunting Marshal."

P.J. sighed.

"Call out Mr. Lee he's under arrest."

John Taylor didn't budge.

"I'm not legally deputized."

P.J. drew his pistol.

"Call him out."

The army leader interjected.

"I'll take care of this marshal. Sir the proprietor of this store is charged with stealing private property."

John Taylor stood up with his gun and the army men pointed their guns at him.

"Prepare to fire."

Amelia walked out of the store to join John Taylor staring at the men on horseback aiming guns at them. P.J. saw her.

"No concern of yours Amelia. Stand aside."

She not only disobeyed him, she took several steps forward.

"I decided it is my concern."

Ethan rushed up on horseback pulling up in front of the armed soldiers with his friends behind him. He couldn't believe it. P.J. leaning the army to aim guns at John Taylor and Amelia. It was worse than what Joseph had reported to him.

He got off his horse and stood in front of them, drawing his gun to aim back at them.

"As I said marshal this is my town. Anything that happens here is my concern."

John Taylor walked down the steps to join Ethan.

"Glad to see you Ethan. Now I can go shoot me some turkeys."

"Go shoot them on the side John Taylor."

"I'll stay here…"

The army leader objected.

"Your weapon is trained on my men sir."

Ethan didn't budge.

"I know."

John Taylor stood beside him.

"He's just protecting a few friends and some children."

Claire and her younger brothers along with Toy and Min ran out onto the front porch to join the others. P.J. just sighed.

"Drop the gun Ethan or we will shoot."

The army leader countered.

"Who are those children marshal…and those? What is going on here?"

P.J. protested.

"The law's the law lieutenant. Those Chinese belong to the mine."

Amelia tilted her face looking at P.J.

"People don't belong to mines."

P.J. tugged on his horse's reins impatiently.

"Lieutenant…"

"What do you want us to do Marshal?"

"Seize the Chinese children and the store. Do your duty lieutenant."

John Taylor nodded.

"Yes do your duty. That is why you joined the military?"

The lieutenant made up his mind and shouted to his men.

"Return company."

The men lowered their shotguns and the lieutenant turned to P.J.

"You said there was an insurrection in Paradise Marshal."

P.J. protested pointing at the store.

"That merchant…"

The lieutenant wasn't hearing it.

"This is your insurrection. Local law enforcement is your job."

The lieutenant issued orders to his men and they all rode off down the street out of Paradise leaving P.J. to deal with it all alone.

Sinclair rode up to the marshal in utter disgust.

"Brackenhouse you're through. You sent for troops to arrest children. You hired Sweet to kill Cord. The money we pay you we can pay a man to do his own dirty work."

Ethan's ears heard that and he nudged his horse towards the two men. Sinclair rode away in disgust and Charlie rode up alongside the marshal. Ethan shot him a look.

"Go home Charlie. This is personal."

Charlie rode away feeling relieved, leaving the two men alone. Ethan turned towards the porch.

"Joseph, Claire get the kids inside."

He didn't want them to see what he had planned. But the adults watched as the two men squared off.

"Step down P.J."

The marshal shot him a cold look.

"Sure thing Ethan."

Then he spurred his horse forward in a gallop, knocking Ethan down. Amelia's eyes widened.

"Ethan…"

Ethan scrambled on his feet and shot down two of P.J.'s cronies. Then he took off after P.J. Amelia tried to stop him.

"Let him go Ethan."

But he was a man in pursuit intent on reaching his target. He spurred his horse faster as they raced down the dirt road until he caught up with a fleeing P.J. After reaching over to grab hold of him, he flung him off the horse.

Both men fell on the ground, continuing their fight but who would win it?


End file.
